title: Responses of pharmacy students to hypothetical refusal of emergency hormonal contraception.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore pharmacy students' ethical behaviour and care towards patients in relation to the provision of emergency hormonal contraception (EHC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and forty-seven pharmacy students were presented a hypothetical scenario involving refusal of EHC, based on religious or moral grounds, and asked to write responses as to how the patient should be managed; 270 (77.8%) responded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of all respondents, 90.4% referred the patient to another health professional to facilitate continuity of care, with referrals increasing as students progressed through the programme. Religion had no influence on referral, while female gender was related to increased referral.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gender difference, if continued into practice, has the potential to negatively impact on patient care.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Denise L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Hope
authors.forename: Michelle A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: H Laetitia
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Hattingh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D044363:Contraception, Postcoital; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012067:Religion; D013339:Students, Pharmacy; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Australia; contraceptives; ethics; pharmacy; students